Well, it’s Good Friday again, and, indeed, not a bad day. Because, as evidenced by the happy little trees above (aka, Jacarandas), spring has sprung here in Lisbon, and things are sort of even looking up event-wise. Moving around is still rather tricky, but people are getting vaccinated, kids are going back to school, museums and stuff are reopening next week, and you can eat at a restaurant as of Monday, outdoors, anyway. And the weather is getting nicer.
Moreover, while, empirically speaking, another “two-week lockdown” now forever lurks in the shadows, there’s actually some cultural stuff you may be able to do in the next few weeks too, and not just on your f.cking computer! Check our full calendar of events for the latest updates on that (but continue to check with the organizers), and, as one infamous British COVID-survivor once said — remain “extremely vigilant,” as to not jinx it. Here’s some of what’s on for this weekend and the near future, online and in real life, extreme vigilance-pending.
ONLINE:
ALL OF THE LOUVRE, FOR FREE: Yep, just that. C’est la vie…
PAINTING EXHIBIT: Local painter Valter Lopes’ solo show Processo is a series of portraits and other paintings described as “a layered process of work and experiences, something always, apparently or not, unfinished…” It’s available online, for free, until Apr. 17.
THEATER: Os Filho do Mal (“Children of Evil”) is a play by Hotel Europa that explores “the relationship that the generations born after the revolution of 1974 have with the Portuguese Fascistic dictatorship regime.” It’s available online from Fri to Sun (Apr.2-4), from 14h to 19h, for 3€.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRAINING: Speaking of children, local Professor of Philosophy Magda Costa Carvalho hosts Childhood time in the mirror of philosophy at the CCB, an Alice in Wonderland-themed four-part online course designed to help you and your children cope with this strange new reality. It’s happening (in Portuguese) every Monday at 18h30, from Apr. 5 to Apr. 26, for 25€.
SYMPOSIUM: If you, like us, happen to be interested in what your plants are thinking, and for this or other reasons find yourself unable to sleep on Tuesday night (Apr. 8), then check out this online symposium from Australia based on the book The Mind of Plants. It’s free (with prior registration).
WORKSHOP: Finally (in terms of screen-time), Museu do Orinete is hosting two three-hour online sessions on the decades-old art of Amigurumi, aka knitting or crocheting small, stuffed, sometimes cute and sometimes creepy yarn creatures, on Apr. 10 and 24. If you got 60€ and wanna learn something cool, you can register now, as attendance is limited to 15 people.
IN REAL LIFE:
MUSEUM: The José Saramago Foundation reopens its doors this Monday, Apr. 5, and invites you to visit it for free all month long.
CLASSICAL CONCERT: The Gulbenkian Foundation is also reopening its doors this month, and on Apr. 19 and 20, world-renowned Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov will be playing some Chopin and Rachmaninov for your listening pleasure. Tickets go on sale Apr. 6 (and, empirically speaking, will likely sell out fast).
MULTIMEDIA EXHIBIT: The portrait exhibit The Dilemma of Being and Appearing at MNAC is described as “a dialogue between painting, photography, and sculpture in the second half of the 19th century, featuring works from the collections of MNAC and the DGPC’s Archive of Photographic Documentation.” You can see it in person until April 18th (in theory) for 4,50€.
ART EXHIBIT: Polish-born and Lisbon-based multimedia artist Pawel Pacholec presents his first solo exhibit, Anthropological Collages, at Arroz Estudios on Wednesday, Apr. 7, and you can see it for free and in real life until Apr.23.
SOCIAL JUSTICE PARTY: And, finally, to remain both vigilant and Christ-like, why not donate some food, socially distance, dance, eat, and walk in solidarity with locals hit hardest by the pandemic, this Easter Sunday (Apr. 4) in Camones Cine-Bar’s 5th Edition of Sopa da Pedra? It’s free (but donations are welcome).
Happy belated April Fool’s Day.
Happy Good Friday.
Happy Easter.
And be safe, y’all.
